ISL Partners Gravity Media for All-Star Match Broadcast

According to Mario Medeiros, ISL chief strategy and commercial officer, the organization is building an eye-catching display that highlights the velocity, physical prowess, and excitement of the competition like never before. The International Swimming League has appointed Gravity Media as its broadcast content and production partner for its upcoming relaunch event, the ISL All-Star Match. The one-night competition takes place on December 19 at the London Aquatics Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The event features a team-based, two-hour head-to-head format where the world’s fastest swimmers compete across four geographically based teams representing the United States, the Commonwealth, Europe, and the rest of the world.

Production Technology Deployed at London Aquatics Centre

For the London event, Gravity Media will deploy an extensive production package to capture the racing from multiple angles. The setup includes underwater and specialist cameras, robotic rail camera systems, gyro-stabilized robotic cameras, and starting block and finish-line robotic mini-cams. The broadcast will also feature optional real-time data integration, supported by the production company’s full-service outside broadcast fleet and its Production Centre in Cologno Monzese, Italy.

Claudio Cavalotti, Gravity Media’s Italy managing director, stated that the partnership aims to bring swimming storytelling into a new dimension. With the International Swimming League, we aim to bring the storytelling of swimming into a new dimension, transforming live sports production into an increasingly immersive and engaging experience, Cavalotti said. Modern technology now enables the coverage to film the action through completely fresh viewpoints—both beneath and above the surface via automated setups and active deck-side lenses, combined with digital information and content.

ISL Returns with a Revamped Commercial Funding Model

The ISL All-Star Match marks the return of the professional swimming series following a suspension in 2022. The league previously paused operations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine disrupted the business interests of its primary investor, Konstantin Grigorishin. While Grigorishin remains involved as founder and chair, the league is utilizing a revamped commercial and funding model. The updated structure relies on a broader mix of revenue streams, specifically sponsorship and broadcast income, to protect the series from geopolitical shocks and public health disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, which hampered its second season in 2020.

Ahead of the suspension, the league faced legal battles with FINA, now known as World Aquatics, during 2018 and 2019 over rules regarding unsanctioned events and antitrust concerns involving prominent athletes like Olympic champions Adam Peaty and Katinka Hosszu. Those legal disputes have since been settled, clearing the path for the league’s return. Following the December showcase, the ISL plans to roll out a comeback campaign featuring up to seven fixtures across North America, Europe, Asia, and potentially the Middle East next year. The upcoming season will introduce a refined format featuring trial one-day event concepts instead of the previous two-day schedule.